Review
McKUEN PACKS ALBERT HALL
It was a house-full occasion -
as usual - when ROD McKUEN appeared In Concert at the Albert Hall last
week. He is the complete entertainer. Poetical lyrics, great songs,
which tell a story, a jovial intimacy with his fans, and a personality
to match his gravel voice combine to make a McKuen presentation
the uniquely entertaining event each one unfailingly
becomes.
The show opens with the wonderful ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
conducted by Arthur Greeenslade playing a selection of Rod McKuen
film music arranged by Gareth Davies. McKuen chose the popular “Hit 'em
In the Head with Love" for his first number, a most apt beginning for
this was precisely what he did to his audience. For over an hour be
sang
his songs, which included a brilliant pastiche of “Madam Butterfly" and
a handclapping rendering of “Soldiers Who want to be Heroes."
For those more classically inclined, Mr McKuen offered, to begin the
second half of his programme, his new composition, Concerto No 3
(Cathedrals of England) with the Philharmonic Orchestra and
Leslie Pearson on piano, and later a selection of songs he had
written with JACQUES BREL. To the very end the vast audience enjoyed
the varied manifestations of the McKuen artistry as demonstrated by his
mastery of words
and music.
